Road noise and overall comfort...

[SnowyGT2]

So after 4,000 miles and 6 months of ownership I do very much love the Stinger. There are a couple things I need to vent about though which are mostly subjective but any tips would be appreciated!

The roads here in central Florida aren't the greatest, but even still I find there to be more road (tire?) noise than I'm comfortable with. I've tried sound insulating the trunk and making sure tires are at the correct psi but neither made any difference. I understand that the tires (PS4) aren't meant to be quiet nor is this car supposed to be luxury but I wonder why maybe there isn't more factory sound deadening especially considering this is a GT car. Also I am coming from a 17 Ridgeline and that thing was very pleasant to drive and really I shouldn't be comparing the two. There is also some wind noise at >45mph from the driver side mirror area that I can't seem to fix.

Other personal complaint is I can't seem to get adjusted to the driving position in a way that I like. I am probably making too many adjustments too often but it's either I feel like I'm too close or far away or the steering wheel is too high or low. Never really had this problem in past vehicles.

Aside from those two nitpicks and a few other small things (like damn the center cup holders are baadddd) I really enjoy the car and I'm glad this community exists to help each other out. Thanks for reading!

 

[Snowwhite]

I have added sound insulation to the floorboards, under the rear seat, the trunk area, and the wheel wells. It has helped. I used noico and a layer of quiet wall mass loaded vinyl. At some point when the weather cools off I’m going to attempt to put some on the roof panel- it’s bare metal behind that black cloth panel.

as far as the wind noise, check the bolts that hold the triangle at the front end of the door in place, under the plastic trim (which just snaps on and off.)

i agree, this car as a GT should have been quieter, but luckily it’s an easy fix. comfort I’m good, but yes I think my G80’s seats were a little better. You can’t compare something with an upright seating position to a fairly low-slung car like the stinger.

 

[Spaceme17]

The PS4 tires will definitely contribute to more road noise. As for ride quality, lowering tire pressure by a couple of PSI should help and won't increase tire wear.

I plan to put some Dynamat under the carpets once the weather cools down. will probably do the same in the trunk/rear hatch area. I think this is a big area for noise as it is not isolated like a normal trunk.

As for driving position, it has taken me a few weeks to settle on a nearly perfect seat adjustment. Just keep adjusting and you will get it the way you like it.

 

[Snowwhite]

PS4s I've found to be fairly silent, particularly compared to other tires in that segment. The insulation under the carpets does help a good bit.

 

[Aarvix]

Don't underestimate the amount of noise low profile tires transmit versus a light truck "touring" tire (not mud tire). Couple that with a hatch that keeps all that rear tire noise in the cabin and you have a much harder time keeping it quiet.

I'm not giving KIA a pass here, other hatchbacks have it figured out, but it does explain why a cheaper Ridgeline would be quieter.

I too find the stinger to be noisier than it should be for $50K, but I'm willing to throw some effort into quieting it down with some strategically placed materials. My 2003 Ram has full sound treatment on the whole cab and it has far less road noise than my stinger. That's over 150lb of CLD/CCF/MLV though. The Stinger is already a fatty, I'm not sure I want to add that much more weight, but I bet you could knock off a few dBs without going too heavy.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Subjective is right. In my experience, the Stinger is by far the quietest ride I've ever had. I do notice the road noise, especially on harsh concrete (which fortunately is very rare). No amount of added sound deadening material is going to overcome these extreme road conditions. When the road is bad enough, I just turn the stereo off or change to something with massive bass floor.

 

[Mike_TX]

I've made some cross-country trips in my (old) Stinger, and yes it's loud on the highway. And as Merlin points out, it really roars on the coarse pavement. I haven't had the new one on the highway yet, but I fully expect the summer tires to be even noisier.

But honestly, there's only so much sound-deadening you can reasonably put in a car. They all howl to some extent, unless you're talking about an S-class or Bentley, so it's just a matter of degree. If I had my way, my car would be whisper quiet, but I know that ain't gonna happen.

 

[Danielegov]

I have added sound insulation to the floorboards, under the rear seat, the trunk area, and the wheel wells. It has helped. I used noico and a layer of quiet wall mass loaded vinyl. At some point when the weather cools off I’m going to attempt to put some on the roof panel- it’s bare metal behind that black cloth panel.

as far as the wind noise, check the bolts that hold the triangle at the front end of the door in place, under the plastic trim (which just snaps on and off.)

i agree, this car as a GT should have been quieter, but luckily it’s an easy fix. comfort I’m good, but yes I think my G80’s seats were a little better. You can’t compare something with an upright seating position to a fairly low-slung car like the stinger.

how did you apply it under the rear seats? Also did you apply it on the wheel Wells from outside the car and how are you going to a apply it to the roof panel mine has alcantra would be impossible to take it off.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

My Stinger GT (rwd - 19'inch staggered setup with summer performance tires from factory) is more comfortable than my WRX but I would not say it is very comfortable. The ride is less harsh than the WRX but harsher than most other cars. The cabin is very noisy from the road and the wind and interior rattling. The car is unable to take any minor bumps or cracks on the road let alone larger potholes or fissures.

The seats are fine. I too have yet to find the perfect position of comfort when sitting. I found the WRX seats to be more comfortable as strange as that sounds.

None of this is an issue for me though. I never cared too much for cars that were cushions or sofas for the road. My gf on the other hand does not like riding in the Stinger that much. She prefers it over the WRX but not by much. She often reminds me how she really would have preferred if I got the IS350 or Accord or Camry than the Stinger for comfort. Oh well.

At the end of the day everything is subjective.

 

[hayagix]

The dealer gave me a 2021 Forte loaner car. Now that was noisy. Really appreciated getting back in my Stinger.

 

[Devin]

I really like the Stinger's road noise. It's a distinct drone I haven't had with any other car before.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Coming home on the freeway, cruising at 78 MPH, I could hear a low hum/moan from the rear that I never noticed before. As I am getting new PS4S on the rear this afternoon, I'll be able to tell instantly if that goes away (or dies way down). I do suspect that the old tires, down to the wear bars on the outside RR, are making the louder tire noise (we don't want the alternative: which will be mechanical failure of some kind starting to emit the first audible signs).

With "true directional" wheels you cannot rotate or even swap wheels side to side; so tire wear will show uneven toward the end of the life of the tire. It looks like these are following the prediction of my tire guys, who said that leaving the tires in the same position might make the difference of a thousand miles or so: by these pics, the RR would have hit the belts while the LR still had several hundred miles to a thousand miles of wear left. I can live with it.

 

[G-511524]

OP said roads are not good. Have been to Ohio or Michigan. How about Chicago. I lived in the panhandle of Florida and the roads
are nice and not pot holes. As for the road noise, it's not bad. I have owned a few new high end cars like BMW 650 and Porsche 911S and it seems no more than them.
My GT2 RWD had an MSRP of $52k but I paid $40k so it is an excellent vehicle at both prices.
My $.02 wort.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

The dealer gave me a 2021 Forte loaner car. Now that was noisy. Really appreciated getting back in my Stinger.

Perhaps it was due to the tires on the vehicle and not the vehicle itself?

 

[Aarvix]

or maybe it's because the car costs half of what a Stinger does.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

or maybe it's because the car costs half of what a Stinger does.

perhapz both ¿

 

[MerlintheMad]

What did you do to your Kia Stinger today? Got the tires on this afternoon.

I went to the spot of freeway where last night I noticed the hum/thrum coming from the rear. And today, it is totally gone: obviously heavily worn tires - with wear bars on the right tire starting to wear too - were the cause of the noise. The ride is smooth, and quiet now; until the fronts wear down a bit more. As soon as I hear something (like last time), I will replace them at once.